Are all the current Sennheiser microphones of equal quality? I've seen where the ME3 has been described as the hands down best of the bunch, but I'm not sure I like the idea of a wrap around head band. I need to take off my headset 40 or 50 times a day when dicatating between patients, and it just looks cunbersome. I have gotten used to my VX1 mic, which is very light weight and comfortable, with pretty good accuracy ( although, I might be pulling out a few more hairs than I'd like!)

David W. Lazan, M.D.

No -- in a word! -- which were you thinking of (besides the ME3)?

Judy

The Sennheiser Headset, a modified ME3, and theBoom microphone are hands-down the best headsets. Just as good and in no case probably more functional, the Sennheiser MD431II. When you mount this on ourBalanced Spring Microphone Arm, you are able to pull it to your mouth easily and when finished easily push it out of the way. The accuracy of this microphone is the equal of the two headsets previously mentioned. The only thing you must be aware of is that you must dictate directly into the head of the microphone at a distance of 1-3 inches and you cannot turn your head to look for a report or look at a film without discontinuing dictation while you do so.

We sell a very nice all-inclusive Sennheiser MD431II Combo $aver

Martin

Thanks.

Actually, I'm not sure which Sennheiser I would want to look at! I don't think I like the idea of the boom mic, since when I'm reviewing a patient charts and additional patient notes, I know I'd be moving my head around and away from the mic. So, I like the idea of a fixed headset, but since I take it off and put it back on so frequently, the read headband setup of the pictured ME3 just doesn't look like it'd work that well for me. So, I guess it boils down to whether there is another Sennheiser, or if I stick with my trusty Parrott VXi mic...

David W. Lazan, M.D.

I'm pretty sure there isn't another Sennheiser headset (that's remotely affordable) as good as your Vxi, so, stay with the trusty Parrott!

Judy

Thanks Judy -- always good to hear your voice of reason!

I just ordered the MD431II and am anxious to see how it compares to the headset I also recently bought. I prefer the fixed mic myself to having one wrapped around my head but in my line of wrk I do not need to move my head around that much when I dictate.

Would a Sennheiser PC165 multimedia headset be any good?

The Sennheiser PC headsets are consumer grade models made for gamers and PC Chat. We have tested them and put them on a par with the Plantronics headsets. They are OK, but a step below headsets designed or modified for Speech Recognition

Martin

You said above: The Sennheiser Headset, a modified ME3, and theBoom microphone are hands-down the best headsets. Just as good and in no case probably more functional, the Sennheiser MD431II.

Could you clarify, please, which models you are referring to? You seem to be saying that you regard 3 models as the best, and a fourth as practically as good. Two are identified as the ME3 and the MD4311 (are these Sennheisers?), but what are 'the Sennheiser Headset' and 'the Boom microphone'?

Are you saying that there are better Sennheiser headsets, but they are costly (in which case which is the best?), or that the Parrott is the best?

Could you clarify, please, which models you are referring to? You seem to be saying that you regard 3 models as the best, and a fourth as practically as good. Two are identified as the ME3 and the MD4311 (are these Sennheisers?), but what are 'the Sennheiser Headset' and 'the Boom microphone'?

What does 'modified' mean in relation to the ME3?

The Sennheiser ME3 must be modified if you were to use it for speech recognition. It is designed for a wireless headset transmitter and the connector will not fit a standard sound card properly. Also, it should be modified to take away the echo effect. An echo effect is desirable for an entertainer on stage but not for a speech recognition user. We call our Sennheiser ME3 the Sennheiser Headset because if you purchase the Sennheiser ME3 it is not likely to work for you.

A good microphone is worthless unless you have a good sound card. That is why we recommend a USB soundcard with each of our high quality microphones. See our Combo $avers for which sound pods match well to each of the headsets or handhelds.

The other headset (really an Earloop) we feel is at the top is called theBoom. The best handheld/desktop mounted is the Sennheiser MD431II. Definitely look at the Combo $aver which includes the cable, the Balanced Spring Microphone Arm as well as the AndreaUSB pod.

The aforementioned microphones are really geared towards professionals who dictate thousands of words every day and must live by their words legally. If you were to dictate 5000 words a day, these microphones should save you 50-100 corrections which is easily in 20 or more minutes a day, an hour and a half to two hours a week saved. There is a second-level of microphones that is much more reasonably priced and is excellent for people who do general correspondence and e-mail.

Martin

I'm saying that the Parrott is good and less costly than the (good) Sennheisers. I haven't used all the Sennheisers, re which of them is best, see Martin's reply. (I have a Sennheiser MD431 II. It really is very good indeed.)

Judy

Thankyou for all of that.

Which of them would you say is the best in terms of accuracy? Would I be right in suspecting that the headset offers a considerable advantage in terms of keeping the microphone in a constant position relative to the mouth?

Thanks Judy. I think you are saying that your Sennheiser gives the highest accuracy, but the Parrott is not far behind and much cheaper. Is that right? Do you find much value in having a headset to keep the microphone in a constant position relative to the mouth?

Yes. (The Parrott isn't massively less expensive than the Sennheiser ME3; my advice to David Lazan was based on his already having the Parrott and being happy with it -- also I've always liked the Parrott range.)



I find headsets difficult to wear, so, I use hand mikes (but I know how to position them). I'd say most people are better off with a headset (so you might look at the ME3 or the other one Martin mentioned).

Judy

More specifically, I note that you say the modified ME3 is the best of the headsets, but do not compare it with the MD431 II. Presumably the latter has a larger microphone than can be carried on the ME3, and so I am wondering whether it is more accurate than the ME3 provided the user learns to position it correctly relative to his mouth. Or is the additional cost of the MD431 II rewarded only in terms of being relieved of wearing a headset?

I note also that you indicate that a good quality microphone such as the ME3 can increase accuracy by 1 to 2%. What accuracy would you expect with experience in use and given a good quality microphone such as the ME3?

Yes. Accuracy is same. Noise canceling with MD431II a tad better when microphone positioned correctly (1 inch or less from mouth).


That depends on you. Do you enunciate every word clearly? Do you speak in phrases? Did you build your user profile correctly by adding documents typical of the way you dictate? Do you make corrections properly (in context of the words around the misinterpreted word)? As you can see this is not a simple answer. Typically, Sennheiser Headset and MD431II users who practice good dictation techniques get 99% or better accuracy.

I believe you can ask questions forever, but you will not get definitive answers until you try for yourself. When you do, you will then be able to get answers here or from a dealer who backs their sales with customer service.

Martin

Thanks for your patience. One last question: In terms of accuracy, how far behind the me3 is the boom (or is it equal), and do you get the quietness problem on replay from a digital voice recorder with the boom that I gather you can get with the me3?

David,

Actually, I'm not sure which Sennheiser I would want to look at! I don't think I like the idea of the boom mic, since when I'm reviewing a patient charts and additional patient notes, I know I'd be moving my head around and away from the mic. So, I like the idea of a fixed headset, but since I take it off and put it back on so frequently, the read headband setup of the pictured ME3 just doesn't look like it'd work that well for me. So, I guess it boils down to whether there is another Sennheiser, or if I stick with my trusty Parrott VXi mic...

I saw your post about the perceived impracticality of using a boom microphone when you are reviewing patient charts etc. I can only speak from my experience using the Sennheiser MD431 II on a boom arm etc supplied by Martin. It is now approximately 2 years since I abandoned a selection of Parrott and other headset microphones in favour of this truly excellent microphone and swinging arm arrangement. I do not think it is particularly difficult to look at two or three pieces of paper in front of you on the desk while maintaining the correct position for dictating using the boom microphone. While it is true that you do not have quite the same ability to turn your head etc, for me this drawback is more than amply compensated for by the advantages of this arrangement. The microphone itself is just incredibly robust and well built. It is extremely easy to swing the arm away from you, and back to the dictating position. You do not have to somewhat clumsily take off the headset with one hand every time you want to get up from your chair, or when the phone rings etc. I found that in the course of a year I would wear out a headset microphone simply because the one has got twisted regularly, they got run over by the casters on the chair, and general degradation eventually took its effect on the connections. Furthermore noted set microphone that I have ever tried is a patch on the Sennheiser MD431. I expect that the new Sennheiser headsets are very good indeed, but for someone like you who will be using this microphone day in and day out in the course of your profession, I think you would find that having the best fixed microphone on a swinging arm would be a great advantage. I would not go back to a headset microphone.

Regards


Henry

There are many factors that may make comparison among microphones difficult. In addition to human factors, there are just so many variables in the equipment configuration. I have used numerous microphones with a switchable microphone mixer having a line output and calibrated input levels. I believe this system is optimized to show the difference, if there is any, among microphones. Details of a microphone mixer-based multi-microphone system are described here:

http://www.voicerecognition.com/board/inde...=18463&hl=zmgao

The truth is, at a certain level the microphone system starts to demonstrate maximized accuracy where all microphones above that level are just equally accurate. In addition to actual voicerecognition experience, I also made voice recordings and actually listened to them using a high quality headphone. I am convinced that most professional microphones are equally good because all recordings sound so clean and clear to my ears that it is hard to imagine different microphones would make any difference with a rather primitive speech engine we have now.

Note that I used the term "at a certain level", which in my experience means a quality professional microphone. I am by no means arguing that all microphones are made equal for voicerecognition. But on the other hand, I do not believe the myth that among the high-quality microphones, there are only just a special few that are particularly good for voicerecognition.

The bottom line: in terms of microphone quality, I have total peace of mind now, knowing that I have the best already. There is absolutely no way I could improve my accuracy by buying another microphone. The problem, if there is any, remains with the software.

By the way, I have long believed that the large variance of microphone performance reported has a lot to do with variations in the connectivity and connection conditions. One may get a top-quality microphone but use it in a poor configuration and claim that the microphone is not good. The fact that many people report excellent performance of some USB microphones and Bluetooth microphones is evidence to support my point. Compared to professional microphones, these have a relatively poor microphone element and a very low-grade analog to digital converter, so it makes you wonder about the superior performance experienced by people. It's not that people are making false reports. It is just that with USB and Bluetooth there is very little to go wrong with the connections and configurations and very little to deviate from an optimized voice level, and as a result statistically more people tend to see better results (or more precisely, fewer people experience unknown problems).

If you have the knowledge to set up a high-quality system, you may have every reason to be confident that Sennheiser ME-3 is a better microphone than all other consumer grade microphones, including the Plantronics CS-55. Because there are so many variables involved, following other people's opinions in choosing a microphone is difficult. The best to do of course is to test it by yourself. But if that is not possible, just go after the microphone that is recognized to have the best microphone element. Given proper connection and configuration, it is the quality of the microphone element that matters. In the example of Sennheiser ME-3 and Plantronics CS-55, the former is a $150 microphone that has at least $100 value going into the microphone element, while the latter is a $250 microphone that has less than $50 in the microphone element and the rest in the other technology, which I have no doubt is a great value to many people but simply could not contribute to accuracy.